Container opener



Sept. 9, 1952 w. D. HUSTED 2,609,600

CONTAINER OPENER Filed Dec. 16, 1948 7.2 9 -7 v1 11 L-J 5 4- 0 IN V EN TOR.

u .5 fie (Z Patented Sept. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES e em orl-"ice GON'B'AINER OPENER WillianrD. Husted, Shayertowm-Pa,

ApplicationLDecemlier 16, 'T948,gfieriazliNorfifiififill fijfilaims. (disclaim.

- This: invention relatesgenerally to-openersior cansior other like containers and which operates bypuncturing a'hole inthe -top or the can-broom tainer. 7

An. object of thisinvention :is tov provide an opener-tor cans. or containers which punctures.

and can. rim "gripping means; andji-n which the distance :Eromthc point tQ'therimJgr-ip-ping means zmayibe adjusted.iorthepurposee-ofregulatingzthe SiZBLQfiihQJ-PLZIlQtLlITGdhQlE. 7

Another obj ectof. this inizenti'onlis to provide a puncturing type can opener Ihavingzapuncturing point formed: on, one end thereoijand :a can; or container rim gripping device W'hiChqiS so constructed as to be slidabl'y carried. by thelhandle of the opener for motion towards and awavfrom the. puncturing pointin order to regulate the size of the hole formed in the top wall of the can or container.

An additional object isto provide a can opener having the above characteristics and so constructed as to be adaptable to be formed of stamped parts; thus securing: a sturdyand inexpensive ladiustable puncturing type opener.

b With .these and other objects in mind invention consists of the combination andv details of construction described in the following specification, and shown-in the-accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation of an embodiment of my invention, showing the can opener positioned against the rim of a can or. container in puncturing relationship thereto,

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the opener shown in Figure 1, the handle of the opener is shown as broken to illustrate that the length of the handle may be varied,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modification of the can o ener shown in Figure 1, showing the hole puncturing end thereof,

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the can opener shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 'T'is a sectionalvi'ew taken on the line Lil ofiliigure 5. I

Referring to the drawings first to Figures .1,2, 3 and 4 a puncturingtype can opener confiructed according to an=.embodiment of'myinmention is theretillustrated. The opener consists of, an elongated handle member 23? having a downwardly :angled taperedwforvzard blade portion 2i. The .forwardren'd of: the angled. portion 2! is. formed with. anofiset'point 22fifor cutting or puncturing ahole in the top wall of ia'tcontainer or can.. An: elongated"longitudinally" extending $1017.23; is "formed in :the angledpportion 2i of'the handle 2%. Therhandle'tll isformed with-,astruck out downweadly an gled-alng: 2t: whichmay the: used as'ac'bottl'e cap remover;

For the; purpose: or providing container :rim gripping means, a U shaped member ZE-h'aving vertically disposed spaced apart sidewalls 2:0;Zis

positioned: in the slot 23. The-side walls :are

joined-J together along: the bottom edge thereof by the bight.. portion 2-7. The iii-shaped member'zfi isformedzofra,resilient-metal, such as spring steel,

edges of the walls 26 are bentoutwardly atright angles. theretotoprovide apair of opposed flanges '29 adapted. to: :slide; along "the top surface: of the handle,por-tion,- 2i ion the opposite-sides of the slot 23. The rear edges of the side wa1ls-,26- are termed with notches til-adiacent thetop thereof, and the lowerledges 13.! of =the=notches So are bent outwardly, asseenainFigure 3., to engagethe bota hooked member '33 on each of the sidewalls for gripping engagement under the rimof a can or container. The container rim gripping means is assembled to the handle 20 by inserting the bight end of the U- haped member 25 into the slot 23 from above and then pressing downwardly on the flanges 29, the side walls 26 will be deflected towards each other to allow the bent out edges 31 of the notches 30 to pass through the slot. Once the bent out edges 3| are through the slot 23, the side walls 25 will snap apart, thus containing the side edges 23 of the slot between the flan es 29 and the bent out edges 3 I. When it is desired to disassemble the rim gripping means from the handle, the side walls 26 are pressed together and the U-shaped member merely lifted out of theslot 23.

The operation of my puncturing type can opener is as followsz As seen in Figure 1 of the drawing, the hooked members 33 are engaged under the rim or bead B formed about the top edge of the can or container A puncturing or cutting a hole therein. If a large hole is desired, the member 25 is moved to the rear end of the slot 23, thus positioning the point 22 a considerable distance inwardly fromthe rim D. If a relatively small hole is desired, the member 25 is moved to the forward end of the slot 23, and the point 22 is positioned close to the rim or bead B. It can be seen, therefore, that the position of the member 25 relative to the slot 23 will control the size of the punched hole.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7, I have illustrated a modification of my invention in which I have varied the construction of the rim gripping means. The rim gripping means 34 consists of a plate 35 disposed on the top surface of the angled portion 2| of the handle 20. A pair of downwardly extending ears 36 are formed integrally with the side edges of the plate 35. A lug 31 is struck down from the forward edge of the plate 35 to engage within the slot 23. A cut-out 38 formed in the rear edge just below the cut-out 38 is bent inwardly, as at 39, to engage under the outer edge 40 of the handle portion 2|. The ears 36 are tapered towards the bottom and are formed with circular cut-outs 4| in the forward edge adjacent the top thereof to provide hooked members 42. As can be seen in Figure 7, the ears 36 are spaced outwardly of the side edges 4|] of the handle portion 2|. Therefore, the hooked members 12 are also spaced apart a substantial distance, and

when the hooked members 42 are positioned in gripping engagement with the under side of the rim B on a container A, the spaced apart hooked members 42 will assure the proper positioning of the point 22 on a radius of the circular top of the container. In assembling the can opener shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the rear edges of the ears 36 are bent in, as at 39, only after the plate 35 has been positioned on top of the portion 2| with the lug 31 engaging in the slot 23, and once so bent will prevent separation of the member 34 and the handle 20.

The lug 31 will engage against the forward or rear end of the slot 23 to limit the sliding travel of the rim gripping means relative to the handle member 20.

The above description pertains to several embodiments of my invention which I have found to be fully capable of performing the stated objects, however it is understood that various modifications and difierences in construction may be'resorted to without departing from my invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A can'opener comprising a fiat tapered blade 4 formed with an offset obtusely disposed puncturing point and having a longitudinal slot therein, and a can rim engaging means slidably mounted on said blade for adjustment relative to said point, said can rim engaging means including a U-shaped member slidably disposed in said slot, means on said member extending over the top of said blade, means on said member adapted to engage the bottom surface of said blade, and hooked portions formed on the parallel sides of said member for engaging a can rim.

2. A can opener comprising a flat tapered blade formed with an offset obtusely disposed puncturing point and a longitudinal slot, and can rim engaging means slidably mounted on said blade for adjustment relative to said point, said means including a resilient U-shaped member extending downwardly through said slot, a pair of opposed flanges formed on said U -shaped member extending over said blade, outwardly struck portions on said member adapted to engage the bottom surface of said blade and cooperating with said flanges to slidably hold said member on said blade, and hooked means on the parallel sides of said member adapted to engage a can rim.

3. A can opener comprising a fiat tapered blade formed with an ofiset puncturing point and a longitudinally extending slot, and can rim engaging means slidably mounted on said blade for adjustment relative to said point, said means including a pair of spaced apart side members resiliently joined together along the bottom edge thereof and formed with opposed outwardly directed flanges integral with the top edge thereof, said flanges engaging the top surface of said blade and said side members extending downwardly through said slot, outwardly bent portions formed on the rear edge of said side members adapted to engage under said blade for retaining said side members in said slot and cooperating with said flanges to slidably hold said member on said blade, and hooked means on the forward edges of said side members adapted to engage a can rim.

WILLIAM D. HUSTED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 684,334 Woods Oct. 8, 1901 1,996,550 Sampson Apr. 2, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 98,279 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1923 

